Polaris Ranger Five Cent Ebrake Fix

[mars1952]

I don't have a Ranger but I did notice that is one of the best home videos I've ever seen. Very detailed and we didn't have to take a roller coaster ride while viewing.

Is there any chance the Ranger can be operated with the brake set unknowingly ( not set tight enough ) or is there an indicator light etc?

In the 1950s and earlier 2-1/2 etc. ton farm trucks had a hand brake with a band on a drive line drum. If it wasn't maintained well or set tight enough when parking, it would often be just hot enough to set a wheat field on fire about the time the county road was reached. Not a good thing.

Also while watching I couldn't help but wonder if one couldn't make his own pads from a better material and epoxy them to the plate. I use old automotive pads to make them for my lawn tractor but no epoxy involved there. And I have shimmed them with a thin piece of wood to get a few more miles.

Hi SandburRanch: Thanks for the compliment.
I read a post on another forum where the author had purchased a set of riveted automotive brake pads. He drilled out the rivets and re-riveted them to the Ranger plates after grinding them to the correct shape. He claimed they worked well but he had to use longer brake assembly parts since the pads were thicker than the OEM pads.
Mars

 

[2fast2]

I watched the video and I realized that the parking brake mechanism looks very similar (perhaps identical) to the mechanism on my XUV. I recently had to replace the pads which wouldn't hold reliably - especially when in low range or with the rear differential locked. These pads have very thin brake pad material on them, even when new. The plastic shield over my parking brake rotor somehow melted and I think it contaminated the brake pads because even though the new pads were pretty close to the same thickness as the originals, they work while the originals did not. They were contaminated with black, perhaps plastic?
Anyway, since it is a parking brake, and there isn't any significant rotation involved (just binding while stopped) they really shouldn't require much pad thickness because they shouldn't wear. Unless you forget to take off the parking brake and drive with it engaged. I suspect the pad material selected is for best cold binding, rather than longevity like most brake pads for stopping the vehicle.

 

[mars1952]

I watched the video and I realized that the parking brake mechanism looks very similar (perhaps identical) to the mechanism on my XUV. I recently had to replace the pads which wouldn't hold reliably - especially when in low range or with the rear differential locked. These pads have very thin brake pad material on them, even when new. The plastic shield over my parking brake rotor somehow melted and I think it contaminated the brake pads because even though the new pads were pretty close to the same thickness as the originals, they work while the originals did not. They were contaminated with black, perhaps plastic?
Anyway, since it is a parking brake, and there isn't any significant rotation involved (just binding while stopped) they really shouldn't require much pad thickness because they shouldn't wear. Unless you forget to take off the parking brake and drive with it engaged. I suspect the pad material selected is for best cold binding, rather than longevity like most brake pads for stopping the vehicle.

Hi 2fast2: Is that a Gator XUV?
Mars

 

[2fast2]

Yes, 2008 Gator XUV 850D.

 

[koshari]

There must not be very many Polaris owners on TractorByNet.
Mars

theres one more than before,

thanks for the posting, done the same on ours. pretty good video linked and a relatively easy procedure.

nice to not have the ATV take off down the lane when opening the gates now.

These pads have very thin brake pad material on them

dunno if ours were original but they had a decent amount of meat on them.

Is there any chance the Ranger can be operated with the brake set unknowingly ( not set tight enough ) or is there an indicator light etc?

the 2013 ranger crew beeps like crazy and the dash brake symbol flashes if the brake is on even a single click. which definitely encourages you to release it.